Greg Kucera Large, kinetic sculptures in wood and other smaller pieces by John Buck, whose work manages to be both whimsical and philosophical. 212 Third Ave., 206-624-0770. 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Ends Sat. July 31.

Hugo House In "Twentieth Century Follies: A Fabrication," Tacoma-based artist Peter Temple-Thurston creates a series of prints on the horrors of the 20th century. 1634 11th Ave., 206-322-7030. 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Mon.-Fri, noon-5 p.m. Sat. Ends Sat. July 31.

Linda Hodges New paintings by Gaylen Hansen, many of which are populated by a menagerie of animals, and all executed with vigorous brushstrokes and an informally playful style. 316 First Ave. S., 206-624-3034. 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Ends Sat. July 31.

Artemis Laura Amussen's big, abstract, and intriguing installations make use of bamboo and other natural materials to create some rather Freudian-looking holes and other patterns that aim to "initiate a dialog between emptiness and desire." 3107 S. Day St., 206-323-0562. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Howard House In Patti Warashina's "Real Politique," a show of ceramic work by the UW professor emeritus, figures that appear playful or informal on the surface harbor deeper, serious concerns. Each of the 10 slightly surreal pieces expresses some aspect of Warashina's history, whether personal or political—"Tule Lake Retreat" alludes to the guard towers of an internment camp, while in "Sitting Ducks," a woman meets the world with open arms, oblivious to whatever malicious forces might have her in their sights. Also on display is a collection of Warashina's newer, small-scale works. 604 Second Ave., 206-256-6399. 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Western Bridge This fabulous new SODO art space designed by Roy McMakin showcases William and Ruth True's vast collection of contemporary art, and kicks off with "Possessed," a group show about "the things we own and the things that own us," featuring work by Adam Fuss, Zoe Leonard, Shirin Neshat, Tony Oursler, Paul Pfeiffer, Aïda Ruilova, and Cindy Sherman. 3412 Fourth Avenue S. 206-838-7444. Noon-6 p.m. Thurs.-Sat.

Museums

Frye Art Museum "Eloquent Vistas" collects American landscape photography from the second half of the 19th century by Eadweard Muybridge, William Henry Jackson, and many others. And for those who don't know a watercolor from a mezzotint, the Frye's new selection of works on paper offers a tutorial in techniques such as lithography, drawing, and engraving. 704 Terry Ave., 206-622-9250. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.; noon-5 p.m. Sun.; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thurs.

Henry Art Gallery "Santiago Calatrava: The Architect's Studio" showcases the work of the ultramodern Spanish architect with a fondness for organic swoops and seemingly impossible curves. Meanwhile, a show by British multimedia artist Alex Morrison explores youth subcultures and their co-opting by the marketplace. "Selections from the Collection of William and Ruth True" offers a sampling from the collection of these two keen-eyed art collectors and longtime patrons of the Henry, including a typically intense video by Trisha Donnelly, a portrait in paint samples by Vik Muniz, and a soothingly mindless video of skateboarders by Kristen Stoltmann. UW campus, 206-543-2280. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sun.; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Thurs.

Museum of Glass Taking the medieval stained-glass panel as her launching pad, Judith Schaechter creates violent and just plain weird vignettes of early-21st-century life. Her recurrent themes are road kill, bathrooms, naughty women, children, and other tragedies. And it's all executed in absolutely gorgeous swirling, fractured bits of color. Also on display: dolls, fabric creations, and glass faces all exploring ethnic and personal identity by local artist Marita Dingus, and a so-so retrospective of work by Italo Scanga, a buddy of Chihuly's and a frequent guest artist at the Pilchuck School until his death in 2001. 1801 East Dock St. Tacoma, 253-396-1768. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed.-Sat. (third Thurs. of the month until 8 p.m.), noon-5 p.m. Sun.

Royal B.C. Museum A huge touring exhibit of ancient Egyptian artifacts from the British Museum will make its only stop in the Pacific Northwest at Victoria's Royal B.C. Museum. Expect to see heaps of gorgeous treasures looted by those darn Brit imperialists, including intricate golden death masks, a multiton granite lion, scraps of Egyptian scrolls, and yes, real, dead mummies. 675 Belleville Street (Victoria, B.C.) 888-447-7977. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily.

Seattle Art Museum "Van Gogh to Mondrian: Modern Art from the Kröller-Müller Museum" offers a rare opportunity to get up close and personal (oh, just elbow your way through the crowds) with some truly great examples of Van Gogh's work. Also on offer in this traveling exhibit from the Netherlands are other exemplars of the modernist movement, including some early Picassos, cubist work by Juan Gris, freaky mythological scenes by Odilon Redon, and pictures by Leger and Seurat. Other displays: the video "Shadow Procession," a recent SAM acquisition by South African artist William Kentridge, is a low-tech shadow parable; "The View From Here" offers selections of Pacific Northwest art from 1870 to 1940; while "Modern in America" explores the interaction between photography and the paintings of Georgia O'Keeffe, Jasper Johns, and other 20th-century artists. 100 University St., 206-654-3100. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sun.; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thurs.

Tacoma Art Museum TAM's Northwest Annual, this year with the moniker "Buildingwise," is a grab bag of local art, some quite good and some just OK. Standouts in this juried show include a painting and time-lapse video of its creation by Patte Loper, realist paintings thick with queasy pinks and greens by Robert Jones, a couple of clever video installations by Juniper Shuey and Iole Alessandrini, large-scale abstractions by Margie Livingston, and Rachel Brumer's quilts-as-stained-glass. Also on display: "Andy Goldsworthy: Mountain and Coast, Autumn Into Winter" presents photographs from the nature artist's 1987 residency in Japan, plus four sculptures of burnt wood and other natural materials. 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253-272-4258. Every third Thursday free. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thurs.; noon-5 p.m. Sun.